Zenith Chronomaster El Primero 'Range Rover'

Overall Condition: Excellent condition overall. Case shows only faint signs of wear from gentle use and handling. Dial and handset are in excellent condition.

For many years, the words El Primero held little meaning outside of serious vintage watch enthusiast and collectors groups. But that all changed a few years ago when Zenith began reissuing many of its famed designs from the 1960s and 1970s.

The El Primero was the culmination of a years-long research and development process undertaken by Zenith to develop the world’s first automatic chronograph movement. While other brands had sought to achieve the same feat — including Heuer (in concert with Breitling and Hamilton) and Seiko — Zenith intended to make the El Primero something entirely unique. Instead of taking an automatic module and merely sandwiching it onto the chronograph, Zenith fully integrated the two; moreover, the movement is a high-beat calibre offering significant added accuracy.

Zenith announced the El Primero at a press conference on January 10, 1969. This was four years later than the brand had intended: It had begun developing the calibre in 1963, hoping to bring it out for Zenith’s centennial in 1965. Nevertheless, on that winter day in 1969, Zenith proudly displayed a working model of its chronograph.

The A386 was the first model to be fitted with the El Primero movement, and therefore commands a hefty premium among collectors for its horological import. Over the past decade, Zenith has used this important model as the basis of numerous reissues, among which was a cool collaboration in honor of Land Rover's Range Rover series from 2017.

This Chronomaster El Primero Range Rover Special Edition features a 42mm ceramised aluminum case with pump pushers, a signed crown, a smooth bezel, and a box sapphire crystal. Its vertically brushed, satin black dial features an outer silvered tachymeter scale, a white-printed 1/5th-seconds track, applied 'wedge' indices, a triple-register chronograph layout with overlapping totalizers, a luminous 'baton' handset, and a 6 o'clock date window.

Powered by the Zenith El Primero automatic Calibre 400B movement with 5Hz beat rate and paired to a cool perforated leather and rubber strap with a DLC-coated titanium buckle, this cool automotive-inspired piece comes with its factory goodies and warranty card. If you're a Ranger Rover driver or simply in need of a neat, left-of-center sports watch with premium appointments, then this is the timepiece for you!